Turkey Red Winter Wheat Berry Cherry and Chard Salad

Turkey Red Winter Wheat Berries are part of the Ark of Taste movement to preserve and protect culturally significant foods that are in danger of extinction. Wheat Berries are the whole form of wheat, and they provide healthy protein and whole grain fiber in this hearty vegan salad. Red chard is braised oil-free with sweet apples, onion, and dried cherries for natural sweetness and fat-free flavor. This has the flavors of winter with the hope for spring color.

Procedure

To cook the Turkey Hard Red Winter Wheat Berries: Place the wheat berries in a medium pot with 4 1/5 cups water. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the wheat berries "pop", about 60 minutes.

To braise the apples: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. No oil is needed. Peel and dice the onion. Core and dice the apple. When the skillet is hot, add the onions and apples. Let sear for a few minutes, to caramelize and bring out the natural sugars.

To prepare the chard: While the onions and apples sear, strip the chard leaves away from the stems. Set aside the leaves. Trim the chard stems and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Rinse the diced chard stem under running water to wash off any grit. Roughly chop the chard leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Stir the caramelizing apples and onions mixture every few minutes to get browning all over. If the mixture starts to burn, simply turn down your heat. You want brown, caramel color. Once the onions and apples are brown all over, add the chard stem pieces. Let cook 5-7 minutes. After the chard stems have some brown on the edges and the mixture is starting to stick to the pan, add the cider vinegar. Use a spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the dried cherries. Add the chopped chard leaves. Cover, and cook until the leaves are tender, at least 5 minutes. You can let this keep cooking until your wheat berries are tender, up to 40-50 minutes. Add water, as needed, to prevent burning.

When the wheat berries are tender they will plump and up "burst" open. Turn off the heat. When the chard leaves are tender, remove the lid. Let most of the liquid cook off. You want a fairly dry mixture.Combine the wheat berries with the chard mixture, walnuts, salt, and pepper. Stir well and taste to adjust seasoning.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Chef's Tip: Use beautiful red chard for great color to compliment the dried cherries. You can also use other dried fruits like apricot, golden raisins, and dried pears. Use yellow or white chard to compliment the color of the fruit

Yield: 6 cups

To learn more about the Ark of Taste and Slow Food Movement, check out:

This Southern classic keeps its roots with flavor from a host of peppers: black pepper, paprika, and cayenne. It swaps out for almond milk to avoid the traditional dairy milk and heavy cream. Naturally gluten-free, this is pure Southern Comfort.

How do they get rainbow chard? Join Plant-Based Chef Katie Simmons at the farmers market as she answers that and gives you a tour of the colors of Swiss chard. Plus she shares why she loves using this 2-for-1 vegetable in healthy vegetarian recipes. More at: www.plants-rule.com

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Plants-Rule (TM), Copyright 2014 by Katie Simmons. All photos, recipes, videos, and articles are property of Chef Katie Simmons unless otherwise cited. All rights reserved. Please seek the advice of a medical professional before making dietary changes.